The Port of Virginia, operated under the Virginia Port Authority through its subsidiary Virginia International Terminals (VIT), is a state-owned maritime and logistics enterprise on the U.S. East Coast. It manages a network of marine and inland terminals, intermodal rail connections, and port infrastructure serving the full breadth of the U.S. supply chain. Under the Virginia Model, the Virginia Port Authority owns both the regulatory authority and VIT, enabling integrated deployment of capital, technology, and operations across the port system.
The port has committed $1.4 billion through its Gateway Investment Program to deepen and widen commercial shipping channels - claims to be the deepest and widest on the U.S. East Coast - and to upgrade terminal infrastructure. The facility can accommodate two-way traffic of Ultra-Large Container Vessels (ULCVs) and operates 26 Suez-class ship-to-shore cranes alongside 152 stacking cranes in a semi-automated configuration. Average truck turn times run 41 minutes. The chassis pool comprises more than 18,000 units with an average age under four years. Two Class I railroad connections provide intermodal reach to 75% of the U.S. population within two days.
On sustainability, the port runs entirely on clean energy and has committed to net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. By economic scale, it contributes $153 billion in value to the U.S. economy and supports 1.29 million jobs nationally, including approximately 565,000 in Virginia - roughly 10% of the state's workforce.
